Many people think that we have steep Riesling vineyards sites just at the Mosel. But we are lucky that we have those „Steillagen“ also in other wine regions. A prime example and my favourite is the Rüdesheimer Berg in Rheingau, where I have grown up not so far away. You find the steep sites where the river Rhein changes his direction from East-West back to South-North. You can also see the river Nahe flowing into the Rhine.
In the top picture, you see me sitting (during a pause of my run) in the very steep Schlossberg part of the Rüdesheimer Berg which got his name from the old customs station Burg Ehrenfels. The vineyard has an incline of up to 60 degrees and is complete south- to south-west facing site.
Additionally, the river reflects the sun. Running through these sites, you feel the effect of inclination and reflection: The temperature is significantly higher than in other parts of the Rheingau. Perfect for early ripening, but prone to dryness on hot summer days. The well-draining Taunus quartzite and phyllite slate warm can accelerate this effect.
It´s a true Grand Cru site with fantastic intense and concentrated but still elegant Rieslings such as from Leitz winery. The other sections of Rüdesheimer vineyards are also fascinating to see (if not a thunderstorm is approaching as today). ⠀
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Worth to visit are for example Berg Roseneck and Berg Rottland with their hugh stone walls, the Bischofsberg and Drachenstein. I spent a lot of my weekends as a child there.
